My Happy Ending
by Dark Inklings
Summary: Cloud has been missing for four years and Tifa goes out to find him. Journey with Tifa and Yuna's group of peacemakers through their epic journey filled with love triangles, battles, humor, and dinosaurs? FFX crossover, various, unlikely couples.
1. Mission 01: Seventh Heaven

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7. If I did, Zack would be alive!! Long live Zack Fair! **

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_My Happy Ending_

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**Message 01: Seventh Heaven**

I was as optimistic person, often the one giving the advice. I can't say if I was all that good of an advice-giver because I never advised myself but, according to others, I gave some of the best advice. I was an advice guru I guess.

Tifa Lockhart was my identity and it would never change no matter how much I wanted it to. My hair was dark brown, matching my chocolate irises, reaching just past my thighs now. I always dressed in black, a black, zipped leather shirt that revealed my stomach, a white undershirt hidden under it, with a matching leather skort, black shorts snuggly beneath them. A red ribbon my childhood friend, Cloud, gave me was tied securely on my upper arm. When I fought, I would put on a pair of black gloves but now I couldn't look at them without breaking into tears.

Midgar was infected with a common and deadly disease: war. It was consuming us all, splitting us into rebel groups, reforming our whole world, claiming the lives of my dearest friends Aerith and Zack and taking my friend, Cloud, from me.

I was a commoner with experience in mortal combat. My fists packed a punch, sending men twice the size of myself hurdling out the window. Otherwise, I worked in the Seventh Heaven, a bar my family owned. The Strife Delivery Service was no more seeing as to how Cloud disappeared.

That was another thing Cloud claimed from me…

It was always so dark and quiet since Cloud left, no one was there to greet me, keep me company, or just comfort me with their presence. No, I was all alone.

The ceiling fan ticked to my annoyance as the blades wound around the center, creating a small, appreciated draft in the hot, humid room. My bare hands, covered with a small paper napkin, continued to dry the clear drinking glass from a few hours earlier when a group of men created a riot in the Seventh Heaven, forcing me to step in and provide reinforcement for those who were quickly getting irritated. They were kicked out, courtesy of myself, their faces smashing straight into the concrete. I swore I could hear their jaws crack under the pressure. They staggered to their feet, spitting out curses and as soon as I held up my fist, they scrambled away.

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

It was so _funny _how oblivious people could actually be. They were so self-indulgent that they would put a sunflower on their mother's tombstone.

The soles of my shoes scraped lightly against the wooden flooring as my legs took me to the cupboards on the far left end of the counter. I moved the wooden latch, the cup in one hand, held against my chest, as I opened the small wooden door. Carefully, I put the cleaned glass upside down beside the other cleaned glasses before I shut the door and latched it once again.

There was no light traveling in through the windows upstairs. Though the curtains were closed, there was always a small line of light that would pass through from the bit of sun that made it through the thick smog. The strip of gold wasn't there. I guessed that it was about time to shut down tonight.

With the power of my legs, I walked myself to the door, putting the metal latch down after I securely locked it.

My hands fell limply to my sides as I sighed loudly. Denzel and Marlene had found another place to settle in with another girl who was infected with the stigma and boarded in with her family, thinking they were a burden to me.

After Cloud defeated Sephiroth, he disappeared again without giving so much as a call, a letter, not even a goodbye…

I turned on my heel and practically sprinted up the stairs, trying to clear my mind. The pictures on the wooden walls didn't help things much or the cluttered boxes in every corner.

A hot shower didn't prove successful either.

Work wasn't an option seeing as to how most people were asleep at this time.

I was consumed in my thoughts when I got out of the shower.

My hair was still damp when I went to bed. As usual, I wore a black T-shirt that reached my upper legs and since no one was around, I didn't see a reason to wear shorts underneath.

When I reached my bed, I let my body collapse on top of it like a stone landing on a fluffy cloud…Cloud…

I immediately flipped over onto my back, clutching the pillow to my chest.

_You just had to say "Cloud" didn't you. _I internally punched myself for bringing Cloud back into my mind.

I took a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before exhaling it, giving myself a moment of relief. The pillow was hanging limply over the edge of the bed now, the white pillowcase scrunched up in my hand.

Silence filled my ears, engulfing me in its serene spell. Unlike my ears, my mind was undergoing extreme emotion, the sounds of various voices filling my senses.

"I wonder where he is now," I though aloud, my eyes gazing at the ceiling above me. I felt pressure build up in my eyes and I screwed them shut, trying to prevent the tears from spilling out. "You loved _her _and yet, you left me with something I cannot ever leave behind."

The tears fell down my cheeks and I rolled onto my side. "I need you."

I was no longer my twenty-two year old self. Four years can age a person. If I had to guess, I would say that I aged twenty years in the past forty-nine months.

-x-

The next day, when I woke up, my eyes were crusty with sleep, reluctant to open. After I rubbed the disgusting crust from my eyes, I was greeted by a blinding light. I turned to my alarm clock, reading the red numbers.

9:32

_Crap! I overslept!_

Once again, I found myself mentally kicking myself as I jumped out of my bed, rushing to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, showered, dressed, combed and blow-dried my hair, and bolted down the steps to the bar below.

_I was supposed to open the Seventh Heaven over an hour ago._

I quickly unlatched the doors and put the OPEN sign on the front golden knob.

Quickly, I gathered my dignity at the counter, pulling out glasses and putting them out, ready for fill.

A few moments later, someone came in.

"A little late are we?" a voice mocked. A familiar not-so-tall man entered through the doors. His red hair was pinned back in a long ponytail that trailed behind him, the hair on top of his head still flaring up in medium sized spikes. As usual, his cerulean eyes showed the utmost confidence. Goggles were on his head, a messy dress shirt and casual, unbuttoned business coat and slacks were his attire.

"Reno," I managed to growl, my eyes narrowing dangerously.

The Turks intimidated people, making them fearful, taking over half the town that way. They were also referred to as part of ShinRa and, even after they aligned themselves with AVALANCHE, they started draining the world's life for power. Reno was one of them. To me, he was just as much of a bastard as Rufus ShinRa.

They were not allies.

"Whoa, whoa, down kitty, I'm just here to have a drink," Reno explained, waving his arms in the air for emphasis.

"You're not welcome here, get out," I ordered.

"And I was told to bring this," Reno said, taking out a white envelope from his pocket, holding it up lazily between his pointer finger and middle finger. He let out a smirk. "Now how about that beer?"

I stared incredulously at the man in front of me. What was in the envelope?

Reno sat in one of the stools by the front counter. I closed the Seventh Heaven for good reason. Now it was just me and Reno.

I slid the drink in front of Reno, a bit timidly for some reason. Was I nervous?

I was so nervous that I could throw up on the spot.

Without a word, watching Reno carefully, I slid into the empty seat next to him. He looked at the small shot glass, quickly swigging the red liquid down. The glass came down with a loud slam as Reno took a huge sigh.

"Ah, there's nothing better than a nice glass of alcohol on a rainy day!"

I raised a brow. It wasn't raining; it was the middle of July. Was he delusional? Scratch that, was he even sane?

In order to knock him back into reality, I brought my hand back in front of my mouth and gave a fake cough.

It worked.

"Huh, oh, sorry."

"The envelope?" I reminded coldly.

"Oh, yeah, here." It took Reno a minute to fish it out of his pocket before he handed it to me.

Overeager to see what was hidden inside; I hurried to rip open the envelope, finding a piece of folded parchment inside. Without a second thought, I discarded the ripped envelope, seeing Reno catch it in the corner of my eye.

Then, I unfolded the parchment.

The paper wasn't white; it was creamy, a bit tattered around the edges, signaling that this letter was written probably over a month ago.

My heart was thumping against my chest, threatening to pop out at any given moment. The breath in my throat hitched, coming out in a rough cough. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was I dreaming? My hands trembled, my eyes widened, that scrawny handwriting…I recognized it.

It was Cloud's.

_Dear Tifa,_

_It has been awhile since I have seen you. I know that I neglected to write to you and I'm sorry. Some things have come up, making my free time relatively short. _

_How are Marlene and Denzel? Is everything going well at Seventh Heaven?_

I could practically hear his voice, stoic and icy but being melted away with warmth and worry. How I missed you Cloud. My eyes went back to the paper.

_Since you would probably ask how I am doing, I'll just write it down. I sustained no injuries from my previous battles and am resting up for what lies ahead. It still seems surreal that Sephiroth is gone, that he is defeated. But with that victory came a price._

_Most likely, you are upset with me for leaving without a word but I had my reasons and you would have been in immediate danger if I would have brought you along. _

_But I plan on returning home soon, if possible, within the next month._

_Sincerely,_

_Cloud Strife_

The paper crumbled in my hands as tears fell from my eyes, dripping down my cheeks. Reno looked at me and then at the paper.

"Um, I hate to tell you this, but look at the back of the paper," Reno said hesitantly, seeming to lose his playful energy.

I looked at him for a moment, hesitating, but Reno just urged me to turn the paper over. So I did.

That's when my entire world shattered.

"The date," I trembled.

This was written over three years ago.

Reno looked at his feet. "We found this in a cabin in Mideel, I'm sorry for your loss," Reno hesitated.

"In Mideel…" Cloud was…gone…?

"Did you find anything else?" I asked.

"No," Reno said, "nothing."

Maybe…

"Maybe he's not dead, you didn't find a body so, he's not dead," I said, forcing a smile.

"Tifa, I know this is hard but we highly doubt Cloud is" Reno started, obviously shocked.

I believed in Cloud and his will to lose. That's one thing Reno and I differed in: are beliefs in Cloud Strife.

"I believe in Cloud, he'll come back, I'm sure of it, he always has and always will," I said, folding the letter up and putting it on the counter.

"Believe what you want but don't say I didn't tell you so," Reno said icily, getting out of his seat abruptly and leaving the Seventh Heaven.

All went quiet except for the ticking ceiling fan. Drops dripped from the faucet, the counter shimmered, and the light shined.

"Reno, you don't know how wrong you are," I said aloud.

_But…_ My eyes traveled back to the folded letter. _Was Cloud alive? If so, why hasn't he returned?_

I stared up at the ceiling fan.

_Maybe waiting wasn't good enough anymore. _

Then I made my decision, the one that would change my life forever.

I was going to find Cloud Strife.

-x-

I carried very little things and I only needed one bag. I had my ID, my wallet with money I got from my account at the bank, a change of clothes, a bottle for water that I would later fill, and a few snacks if I couldn't find a village. I would purchase a map right before I departed from Midgar.

But I had to take care of a few things first.

Reno and the Turks would never know of my leave but others, like Barret, Marlene, Denzel, and Melanie.

When I exited the Seventh Heaven, I made sure it was securely locked, giving the key to the back door to Barret.

Marlene hugged me tightly when I went to tell her of my departure. Denzel just watched with empty eyes until Marlene ushered him over. He gave me a small hug.

My last trip was to Melanie's small home in another section of town.

There were three steps to the door to her home on the crowded streets. People flocked by, filling up the sidewalks on both sides of the street.

I gave a small knock at the door, and a few moments later, a small woman with white hair and blue eyes greeted me, opening the door.

"Tifa, this is a surprise, I thought you weren't visiting for another five days," she said.

"Actually, I came to tell you that I'm leaving Midgar for awhile," I told her with a sad smile.

"Oh, but why?" she asked, shocked. The woman at the door, smoothed out her blue dress and stained apron nervously, like she always did when she wanted to delay something.

"To find Cloud," I said, daring to not look at Melanie.

I head her give a small gasp, her hands snapping to block her opened mouth.

"Cloud, as in Cloud Strife!?" she said a tad too loudly.

"Yes, but, can you lower your voice, I don't want," I looked around cautiously before continuing, "I don't want ShinRa to know."

"I see, but what about"

"Tell Lucia that I love her and I'll be back soon," I interrupted.

"Come back safe Tifa, you're all she has," Melanie whispered as I started my way to the store to buy a map. She closed the door and returned to caring for the children. A girl with short brown hair in pigtails with blue eyes stared out the window by the door, clutching her teddy bear to her chest, trying to stay strong like she was told.

-x-

It took no time at all to buy a map; all stores carried many of them in stalk for very low prices which was convenient.

With my things in tow, I began to make my way to the end of Midgar. Seeing as to how I had no other way to travel, walking was my only option.

Yuffie was in Wutai and from what I heard; she wasn't coming back for a visit for at least another month. Cid was all the way in Rocket Town and Vincent; I hadn't seen him for over a year.

This time, I was on my own.

It had been so long since I had felt anything like this. The hope and determination were strengthening by the second; building into a worthy defense that not even a whole kingdom of men could falter. My sadness and depression melted away, replaced with this satisfying feeling of strength. Nothing was going to stop me.

My slender legs walked me through the crowds, my face not faltering, only looking ahead, through the people and through the faces. I kept my fist balled beneath my gloves, tightening the maroon material around my knuckles. The black bag I had my things in was slung over my back, the straps tight around my arms, making the bag rise as high as possible on my back for convenience. My brown hair followed behind my powerful strides, beating upon my back as I went since I tied it a few inches from the bottom with a red hair tie. I was wearing my white, undershirt that cut off a bit below my chest with my black skort and black shorts. Attached to the belt of my skort was a thin, belt-like strap that wound up and over my chest, shoulders, going behind my back and attaching to the other side of my skort belt. On my arms, ending a bit above my elbow were finger-less gloves that my gloves went over. It started black and ended with a metal strip and red material at my upper arm. I no longer bared the red ribbon Cloud and I shared. I wouldn't wear it until I found him.

"Tifa!" a faint voice called.

I stopped in my tracks, the crowd still maneuvering around me.

"Tifa!"

The voice was growing louder with each passing moment.

Within moments, a little girl with short, chocolate brown locks and blazing blue eyes was at my feet, a tattered pink bunny in her arms. She wore a beige dress that ended at her knees, small scorch and tears on the ends of it. Under that she wore a white, collared, polo shirt that had small sleeves that reached her elbow. The girl was relatively small and frail. She never was strong physically.

I gave her a warm smile, kneeling down to her eyelevel.

"Lucia, why are you out here?" I asked, trying to conceal the worry in my voice.

She shifted her gaze from me to the ground. The three year old hesitated before answering, "I c-came to see if you w-were weally going."

"Don't worry Lucia, I'll be back soon and we can play together like we used to," I promised.

"Weally?" She looked up, hope glittering in her eyes.

I nodded.

"I want you t-to have this," she said slowly, taking something out from a pocket in her beige dress. She put something in the palm of my hand slowly, withdrawing her tiny hand. It was soft like smooth silk and it was the color of ash. A small white ribbon, the same one I gave Lucia for her second birthday, was in the palm of my hand.

"L-Lucia," I choked.

Why was she returning her birthday gift?

"Don't forget me," she pleaded.

I smiled, hiding my true feelings. How could she even think I would ever forget her? She was the last gift Cloud ever bestowed upon me.

"Lucia! Lucia!" another voice called.

A familiar white haired woman bounded out to embrace the little girl, literally collapsing to her knees.

"Lucia, than goodness, never run away in town like that again." Melanie panted, planting a small kiss upon her forehead. Melanie looked up at me. "Tifa, I'm sorry if we're"

I cut off her apology.

"It's alright Melanie; I shouldn't have left without a proper goodbye," I admitted, standing up on my stiff legs with a small wobble.

The two followed suit, standing up to their full heights as well, Melanie keeping her hands on the bend of Lucia's spine to keep the toddler steady.

"I must be going soon," I said, seeing the two practically stare holes into my skin like puncturing needles.

"Be careful Tifa, Marlene, Denzel, and Lucia need you," Melanie reminded me. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she was crying. Melanie was only seventeen and she had a lot on her plate and with Denzel being twelve and Marlene ten, the two were becoming more adventurous and a bit troublesome with their antics, mostly Denzel wanting to act more like an adult and Marlene following.

The two were good kids though and Cloud, Denzel, Marlene, and I were always a family.

"Tell Denzel and Marlene to take care, I'll be back soon," I said, my feet starting the other way.

I waved to them and saw, from the corner of my eye, Lucia frantically waving her arms in the air and Melanie holding her back from chasing after me, tears streaming down both of their cheeks.

As I continued away, my eyes stayed glue to them. They grew smaller, smaller, smaller, and smaller with every step. Lucia's lips moved but I could not here what she said. I feared that I would never see _his child _again after that day.

-x-

It was interesting how you wouldn't realize how precious someone was to you until they were gone. I felt that with Zack, Aerith, and even Cloud. I didn't know how much their absence would impact my life until I realized that they were actually gone.

In a way, I lost everything.

Marlene and Denzel didn't depend on me like they used to, Lucia had Melanie, Yuffie and Vincent disappeared from my life like Cloud, and I never trusted ShinRa or the Turks like Reno.

No one needed me.

The city of Midgar was far behind me. All that surrounded me now was hidden organisms, rough stones, and uneven cliffs. My feet grew sorer by the minute.

These rocks were hard and every time I stepped, something would practically stab and wedge itself in the heel of my foot.

I looked around myself, seeing only stones. Midgar was just a speck in this prominence of rocks. There were no signs of life, just a vast region of rock. There was a cliff ahead, a forest below it that would lead me to the next city.

My eyes wandered to the sky. Gray was all I saw. No clouds, just gray. The sky was no longer a lush shade of light blue; it was now a deprived shade of gray.

This world changed over the years. The development of ShinRa changed everything including my life… My father was dead because of those bastards. My hand tightened into a fist.

_I hope you're rotting in hell Sephiroth. _

Over time, my body eased and to keep my mind off my aching limbs, I consumed myself in happy memories of my friends and family.

The optimistic black-haired ninja appeared in my head first, my mind traveling back in time.

_We had just defeated Sephiroth and the celebration was at its peak. The Seventh Heaven was lit, the walls shining orange with the lighting and darkness from the night sky mixing together. Calm jazz music played for us, getting some people "into the groove", getting them to dance in the spot I had renovated earlier for the more "wild" ones to enjoy themselves. _

_Reno and some of his fellow Turks were at the counter, chugging down beer in large glasses. Barret was sitting beside Reno, just as drunk as the redhead, now giving the smaller man next to him a giant pat on the head, messing the red spikes up, making them spilt and fall into his face._

_Marlene and Denzel had their own little table in the far back left corner where they sipped on their Cokes that I had provided for them. Normally, they wouldn't get fizzy drinks with caffeine but, seeing as to how it was a celebration, today was an exception._

_We…well Yuffie…somehow convinced Vincent to come to the party, which he did, and he was in the darkest corner of the room, sitting at a table alone. He seemed t be in a daze, staring at nothing in particular._

_Yuffie, on the other hand, was having a ball on the dance floor, dancing with various AVALANCHE members wildly. _

_Cloud was by actually enjoying himself as well, a small smile on his face as he took a seat at Marlene and Denzel's table. The three chatted and smiled, seeming to have a pleasurable conversation. _

_I was doing my normal job as the Seventh Heaven bartender, serving drinks, mostly to Reno and Barret, and other AVALANCHE members. _

_My job was never done._

"_Hey, bartender, over here, an order of champagne!" a black-haired girl called, waving her arms in the air. Yuffie was alone at her table, wanting a drink, sweat dribbling down her forehead from the previous activities she included herself in._

_With a sigh, I stepped over to her._

_She sat down in her seat, ready to make her order._

"_One order of champagne," she grinned._

"_Yuffie, you're underage, you can't have champagne," I sighed._

"_Then I'll take a glass of tequila," she announced._

"_Too young," I stated._

"_Beer?" She now resorted to questions._

"_Nope."_

"_What can I have?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice._

"_Coke," I smirked._

_She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Fine, I'll have a glass of Coke," she sighed. Her enthusiasm seemed to diminish within moments after hearing that she couldn't ingest adult beverages. _

"_One Coke coming up," I smiled, walking back behind the counter._

_I went in the backroom behind the counter, immediately going to the fridge. I opened the frosty door, a chill erupting from its cavities and cooling my heated flesh. My hand scanned the fridge, passing by the snacks and toppings. _

"_Coke." I grabbed the 6oz bottle of Coco Cola before I shut the refrigerator door with the back of my foot. _

_Without a second thought, I exited the backroom, shutting the door behind me as I entered the lively barroom once again. After grabbing a glass, I strode back to a lonely looking Yuffie._

_Soon enough, I was back at Yuffie's table, glass and Coke in hand. Yuffie had her head hung low, like she was ashamed or something. I stood there for a few moments, expecting her to pop her head up and say, "I got you!" That didn't happen._

_My eyebrow was twitching. Why was this girl acting like a deaf old woman!?_

_I slammed the glass on the table, finally getting the young ninja's attention. Her head snapped up, her eyes a little hazed. She blinked a few times. "Tifa?"_

"_Your drink?" I said, pouring half of the bottle into the cup._

"_Thanks," she said quietly._

_Something was wrong, Yuffie was never quiet._

"_Be right back," I said, rushing off._

_I put the bottle back into the fridge and rushed back to the table where Yuffie was and took a seat in the other vacant seat._

_She looked at me, shock evident in her eyes._

"_Want some company?" I asked._

"_Sure," she answered, trying to smile. The effort was futile, she could never fool the "Great and All-Knowing Tifa."_

"_Okay, what's wrong? You're not yourself," I finally said, leaning in closer for her answer._

_She looked to her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. The fidgeting seemed to linger on for minutes until she finally answered._

"_Am I still a child?" she murmured. _

_My eyes widened. So that was what was getting her. I leaned back in my chair, thinking of what to say. _

_Yuffie's eyes wandered back to her lap, her whole posture changing. Her hands and arms were directed to her lap, her arms straight and stiff, her hands balled into fists; Yuffie's shoulders were tensed, her eyes not on me but on her feet. _

_This was not like her at all._

"_You still have a long way to go before you are an adult but you aren't a child," I said with a hopeful smile._

"_So, I'm in the middle?" she asked, her stiff body going limp._

_I nodded._

"_Well, Teef, I…I…," she looked at someone away from the table quickly, "Am I too young for Vincent?" she sputtered. _

_The jazz music still hummed throughout the room like blood coursing through human veins. People still danced, drank, and talked, making merriment keep the celebration booming._

"_Vincent, the Vincent Valentine? The one you call 'Vinnie'" I asked. _

_The two were polar opposites. She was hyper; he was cool, calm, and collected. They were so different that there was an attraction between the two. _

_Yuffie nodded sheepishly, taking a quick glance his way._

"_There is an age difference," I said, stroking an invisible mustache, "But I think it would work," I finished slowly._

"_Really!?" she practically shouted, jolting out of her seat._

"_Yuffie, calm down," I said, ushering her to sit back in her seat correctly. "Vincent is the opposite of you and visa versa, that's what makes it work. Have you ever heard the saying 'opposites attract'?" _

"_So, I have a chance?" Hope glittered in her dark eyes._

"_Yes," I smiled, "you do."_

_Yuffie's lips turned upward, into a smile I had never seen before. It was bright, her teeth glittering brilliantly. It was a true smile. _

_Maybe she had her chance at a happy ending._

…

…

…

_Her happy ending…_

Yuffie didn't make a move that night. No, instead she spent the remaining time sitting with me and chatting about our hopeless love lives.

Shortly after the party, Yuffie returned to Wutai to straighten out a few things and to continue training kids in learning wushu.

Vincent disappeared shortly after. From the rumors I heard, all I gathered was that he left town and went north somewhere.

The place was probably dark to say the least.

Then memories of Vincent Valentine rushed into my head, crashing into my mind like a giant tidal wave. One in particular got my attention.

_Yuffie had already left for Wutai over two months ago, sending me a single postcard saying that she had arrived safely._

_Of course, I had told Vincent._

_The dark-haired man was hanging around the Seventh Heaven now, not having anywhere to go and of course, he didn't openly admit that. No, instead he just stalked around, his red tattered cape trailing behind him as he lingered in various dark corners of the bar. He wouldn't say much but he was there._

_He seemed to be sulking._

_To put it bluntly, he missed the company of the hyperactive ninja. _

"_Vincent, how long are you going to sit around and sulk? You are acting like a child," I finally said one day as I cleaned up the Seventh Heaven. Cloud had left without a word and Vincent was the one that stuck around during the time I sulked. _

_But it was my turn to help him._

"_I am not sulking," he said coldly._

"_Well you sure seem like you are," I said, putting another glass back into the cupboard._

"_I merely am waiting for her return," he said from his barstool seat at the counter._

_I suppressed a chuckle. "Sure ya' are Vinnie." I waved my hand in a dismissing fashion as I did my Yuffie impersonation. _

_The dark-haired gunman sighed. "Tifa, you are being difficult."_

"_You're going to blame my prying on Cloud's absence, aren't you?" I asked, my mood turning into raw anger._

_Vincent said nothing and stared at his reflection in the newly cleaned wooden counter._

"_Tifa, I am leaving. I realize Yuffie won't be returning anytime soon and you need your time to think and we cannot dwell on the past." With that, Vincent stood up and walked out, his hair trailing behind him as well as his red tattered cape._

_I bit my life, forcing a smile. I knew he would leave too. They all did. But I was grateful for the amount of time he spent, comforting me. Tears fell down my cheeks._

_For awhile, I believed Vincent was my best friend. And for awhile, he was…_

"_Goodbye Vincent."_

Vincent didn't return after that. I figured that he needed to sort out his own life, much like me.

My eyes trailed over the stones set around me.

I took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling and letting it all out. How I wished the air I got rid of were all of my troubles.

I wished Zack and Aerith were with me. The company would be nice.

But they were in the Promised Land. Sometimes I wondered why I wasn't there with them.

I wished I was…

-x-

It was nighttime already and I hadn't reached the forest. The ground was rocky so I was forced to search for a stone large enough for me to sleep on. Luckily, I located one that fit the description decently well. I kept the bag hugged to my chest. I had no blanket and the chill was making me shiver.

Somehow, my eyes closed, the heaviness weighing my eyelids down.

_My body was weightless, in a swirl of everlasting blue. In the heat of the moment, I allowed my arms to flow outwardly and for my legs to dangle in the air. My hair sprawled out of its original tie and all I felt was eternal bliss._

_Like a feather, I lowered into a grassy plain, somehow adjusting myself to land weightlessly on my feet. _

_As soon as I was upright, I scanned my surroundings. The tall, lush green blades of grass stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was never-ending. The sky here was blue, not a cloud in sight. But, I couldn't see the sun. Everything was lit up but there was no yellow, shining orb of bright light._

"_Long time no see Tifa," a voice greeted behind me._

_That voice…_

_I turned around quickly, almost tripping over my own clumsy feet. Black spiked hair, transparent blue eyes, dark clothes, pale skin. Zack Fair._

"_Zack," I croaked, tears welling up in my eyes. _

_Zack…was…dead…_

_His lips turned upward into the smile I hadn't seen in years. _

"_Are you going to stand there and cry all day or are we going to talk?" Zack asked._

_I practically ran to him, throwing my arms around his muscular form. My face buried into his chest and Zack seemed to hesitate before patting me awkwardly on the back._

"_Miss me that much?"_

"_You have n-no idea," I sobbed quietly._

_Zack lightly pushed me back, looking at me to se how much I changed. I noticed that he hadn't aged a day._

"_You don't look too different than the last time I saw you," Zack said, letting go of me._

"_You haven't aged a day," I smiled._

"_Hm, well, that's no surprise. I stopped aging the moment I entered this place," he said, looking to the sky._

"_Really? It must be nice to not have to worry about wrinkles, gray hair, or the whole world for that matter," I said._

"_It gets lonely," Zack said, averting his gaze to me._

"_What about Aerith?" I asked, remembering the brunet woman that inspired so many._

_Zack smiled, shutting his eyes. "She's gone, like the rest of them."_

"_What?" I asked. Gone?_

"_For some weird reason, people have been disappearing from the Promised Land."_

"_Disappearing?" Why would people be disappearing from the Promised Land? Where did they go? A million different questions raced through my head._

"_For all I know, I'm the only one left and I found that I can venture into the world of the living, unseen of course. I'm starting to think that the disappearances and Cloud missing-in-action might be connected somehow."_

_A slight breeze blew, rusting the strands of my hair. The air here wasn't hot or cold. There wasn't a climate. I couldn't tell you what the weather was. It was like my skin couldn't feel anymore…like it became rubber or some sort of unfeeling substance. My senses were going haywire. _

"_Zack?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Would I be able to se you if you came to the human world?"_

"_Well, you're here and seeing me now," Zack said._

"_That's not what I mean!"_

"_I know." Zack looked back at the sky, his smile disappearing. "Aerith knew something was wrong. She kept tabs on you and Cloud and one day, she couldn't find Cloud anywhere. She looked for him for months and nothing came up. It was like he vanished from the face of the Earth. Shortly after, spirits here started to go missing. That's why she gave me something before she disappeared and told me to contact you. She knew something was going to happen." Zack dropped a small necklace with a single pearl at the end of the golden chain. "This will help you see me in the human world." I put it around my neck, letting the pearl dangle at the end. _

"_Whatever Aerith sensed is happening, isn't it?" I asked._

_Zack's gaze fell to the ground. "Yes."_

"_Dilly-dally-shilly-shally, Zack, how about this? You come to the material world and assist me in my search for Cloud. Maybe, together, we can find Cloud and Aerith," I suggested._

"_That sounds good."_

"_So, see you when I wake up?"_

"_You can bet I'll be there, just don't talk to me in public, you'll look like a senile old woman," Zack teased._

"_Hey, I am not old, you just haven't aged!" I barked. _

"_Sure, well, see you when you wake up Sleeping Beauty," Zack said._

_The world disappeared, a black hole appearing under my feet. Suddenly, my body felt like a ton of bricks and I was falling. My eyes shut, my body becoming numb as the hole of black closed on me._

…

…

…

_The last thing I saw was Zack's smiling face_

My eyes snapped open, my arms sending me upward a bit too hard. Let's just say I tumbled off the rock I was sleeping on.

I was heaving, rubbing the now sore spot on my lower back, my left eye cracking open.

"Wow, for Sleeping Beauty, you sure are a klutz," a familiar, muscular man snickered.

I couldn't help but smile at the man standing above me. Zack was really here. I looked down at my upper chest, spotting the necklace that was sitting neatly below my collar bone.

It wasn't just a dream. My gaze fixed on Zack again. This was reality.

"Earth to Tifa, are you going to ever get up or are you going to spend the rest of your days on the ground?" Zack asked, sarcasm dripping like venom from his voice.

I staggered to my feet, knowing he couldn't help me. After all, he wasn't tangible…

"Where to next?" he asked after I regained my balance.

"To the forest just below the cliff," I said.

"The one about an hour's walk ahead?" Zack asked, trying to get a feel for my future journey.

"Yeah," I answered. For a dead man, Zack still was very familiar with these parts. The training in SOLDIER came in handy at times, much to my distaste.

"Well, the sooner we get there, the better. We're burning daylight here, hurry up," Zack said, already starting to walk away.

"Hey, wait up!"

Still groggy, I forced the remainder of my energy to my legs, pumping me to the former army man's side.

-x-

"It's…beautiful…" I said in awe, my eyes trailing over the long stretch of lush green forest that hadn't been corrupted as of yet.

"One place ShinRa hasn't touched," Zack added.

The trees stretched out for a vastly, the ground covered with the green of treetops and Christmas Pines. The beauty was overwhelming. I couldn't help but gape at the sight. Never once had I seen an area ShinRa _hadn't _destroyed. Judging by the trees, I could guess the wildlife rarely, if not ever, saw humans. ShinRa probably didn't know this place existed. The towns were to the east and this forest was west.

Zack and I stood over the edge, gazing down with envy at the sight.

"Ready?" Zack asked, giving me his usual cocky grin.

"Yeah, but, are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow after I fired his question back at him like a rocket.

Zack chuckled. "Gotten a bit confident while I was gone, eh?"

"I never was the type to sit back and squander time," I smirked, putting a hand on my hip.

"You were always quite the optimist," Zack said, seeming to let his mind wander into old memories, his chin fixed between his thumb and pointer finger.

My bag was securely strapped behind my back so tight that it didn't even dangle an inch off my back. My hair, still bound at the ends, hung over my bag, practically covering it. At least it was further away from my feet.

Zack had no weapon but his fists proved worthy in battle since he trained in soldier. I had to say, though, my hand-to-hand combat made his look like child's play.

"So, are we going to spend our day reminiscing or are we going to get down that cliff?" I asked, pointing to the brush below.

"Ha, ha, yeah, okay, okay, I'll stop babbling long enough to get down the cliff," Zack laughed.

"Finally," I sighed,

"But…" Zack drawled, "how do we get down exactly?"

"Uh…I guess we have to rough it by climbing down," I said.

Zack's gaze flickered between me and the cliff.

"Great, and here I thought that this was going to be an easy journey."

-x-

The climb down, to say it bluntly, felt like I entered a hellhole and climbed out of it…two years later. Every muscle in my body ached. It felt like the muscles were tearing, fire burning through the folds of flesh. I could hardly stand, let alone walk. My arms took the brunt of it. The upper portion of my right and left arms were searing with pain while the rest of my arm below my elbow was numb, feeling like Jell-O.

I was out of breath, finding a shaded rock nearby to collapse on my backend with.

"W-Wow, o-out of b-breath already Tifa," Zack wheezed, not looking any better than me.

As soon as I caught my breath, I fired back, "Look who's talking."

Zack managed a hoarse chuckle before collapsing on the ground himself, trying to catch his breath. He sat on the grass, not caring what he looked like at all.

Sweat beaded down his face, from his chin, nose, forehead, seeping out of every possible pour his body successfully located. I felt the wetness of my skin, the tip of my finger reaching my forehead to be greeted with a river of perspiration.

How I craved for a nice, _cold _shower. Curse the hot weather of mid July.

My eyes traveled to the blue skies, something racing into my mind.

A memory…

…

…

…

…of Cloud…

_My skin was burning…at least, that's what it felt like. The sun, which I though of as the devil for the last month and a half, sat in the sky, blaring its evil rays of light upon me like it was mocking me._

"_Stupid sun," I muttered under my breath, the small metal handle of the bucket of water I was carrying. _

_The white tank top that covered my upper body and torso was soaked in sweat from the hard hours of labor I was forced to endure. Even my jean shorts were damp. _

_My mind told me to make a sign that said "Will pay for Shower" but there was no marker…or paper for that matter._

_It was so freaking hot that I tied my hair back with a big clip in a messy bun. That didn't help rid the sweat bottled up behind my neck. Nope, it just exposed it to the sun. The stupid, stupid, sun. _

"_Stupid sun," I mumbled, pouring the water into the deep cemented ditch that was to be a pool soon._

_Why I decided to help out in the middle of July with filling up my neighbor's friend's mother-in-law's son's pool remained a mystery to me to this day. _

_For the last two hours, I had been spending taking trips from one side of their too large backyard to the other, filling the bucket with water since the hose wasn't long enough to reach to the edges of the pool. _

_Stupid hose…_

_Cloud and I elected together to help out. That didn't help my attempts to avoid him since my feelings were growing by the day, making me act a bit foolish, admitting things I didn't want to. This was not the time to be truthful. _

_I looked to the blonde who was on the other side of the yard, dumping a bucket of water in the hole in the ground. Like me, he was drowning in his own perspiration, plus, the expression on his face definitely was far from expressing pleasure. _

_Even though I was avoiding him, that didn't mean I couldn't admire him from afar. _

_Something cool and refreshing splashed onto my wrist. My eyes focused down at the bucket that was now perfectly overflowing, a puddle of mud forming in the green grass. _

_I was so busy ogling at Cloud that I was too busy to notice that the bucket had already filled! My gaze flickered to the pool. And, to make matters worse, Cloud was heading back here._

_Quickly, I twisted the faucet handle to turn off the water pressure and to hopefully stop the flooding._

_My feet splattered mud on my ankles as they twisted, pulling me in the direction of the pool, my legs pumping me there._

_As I passed Cloud, I prayed once again that he wouldn't notice the puddle. _

_What excuse could I come up with? How would a puddle form in the grass when it was over a hundred degrees!?_

_My face heated up instantly as his scent entered my senses, the slight breeze brushing past my skin as he strode by. It was all so overwhelming. The heat wasn't helping matters either. _

_Now I was even more exhausted, feeling like I could keel over dead at any random moment._

_Suddenly, my left foot landed in front of my right, throwing off my balance completely. My eyes screwed shut, my fingers unclasping the bucket handle automatically as I prepared myself for the impact of the fall. _

_It wouldn't hurt much to fall on grass but with the way my feet twisted, it could result in a good amount of pain from something like a twisted ankle. _

_With a CLANK, the bucket hit the grass, the water filing out quickly, making it empty once again._

_I was ready for the pain to erupt but it never came._

_A few more seconds…_

_Nothing came._

_My eyes were squinted when they opened cautiously. Something warm and smooth, like flesh, was wrapped around my lower torso. I studied it for a moment before noticing the breathing that hit my neck like a feather. _

_Blonde hair…_

_Blue eyes…_

_Cloud's left arm was wrapped securely around my lower torso, hugging me to his body, my back grinding against his chest and stomach, our lags tangled. His other hand still held onto the bucket of water, not spilling a drop. Cloud looked down at me, his eyes holding the utmost concern for me._

_I couldn't help but gasp. Cloud was so close to me. My instincts took over, making me struggle in his grip._

"_Tifa," he kept saying, trying to get my attention. I kept struggling._

_My right leg kicked his, his foot skidding off the ground, sending us crashing down._

_Cloud's bucket hit the ground with a CLANK, the water draining out of his as well._

_I had my eyes shut tightly once again. Then, it happened again. His breath was hot against my neck, making me want to arch up in pleasure but I held back the screaming urge. I forcefully opened my eyes. Cloud was smashed against me, his body on top of mine now, our legs intertwined. The bump of his arm beneath my back was there, meaning he didn't let go. _

_Our eyes met, both of us looking away quickly before wandering back to meet._

"_Um, you're on my" Cloud started quietly. _

_I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence._

"_Oh, sorry!" I said, arching my back up high enough so he could slide his arm out from beneath me. _

_He sat up first, his weight, which was quite heavy actually, no longer crushing me. I sat up as well, expecting him to move but his didn't. _

_Now, my arms held me up, angling behind me, my body positioned in a diagonal line, my head starting the highest._

"_Um…"_

_Why wasn't he moving?_

_Cloud stared at me intently, apparently consumed in some thought running through his mind. _

"_Tifa," he said, finally blinking, his body shifting back to give me more room to sit up. At least I was sitting up straight._

_But he was still seated in my lap, his hips grinding against mine whenever he moved, keeping my legs planted against the squashed blades of newly-planted grass with the added weight applied._

"_Why are you acting different?" he asked._

_My eyes widened considerably. That was one of the things I feared him asking. Lately, I had been acting much more skittish around him, going as so far to avoid him and when you lived with him, avoiding him wasn't as easy as I thought it was._

"_Cloud, I…" I started, my gaze falling to the grass surrounding us. _

_Then it hit me._

_This was the time to tell him how I truly felt, the feelings I harbored for so long._

"_I'm not acting different," I said, the words I truly meant not erupting from my throat._

"_Tifa, I am not getting up until you tell me what is bothering you," Cloud said._

"_If I told you, it would just make things worse," I stated coldly._

"_Tifa"_

"_If I told you that I loved you, what would you say!?" I shouted, tears brimming in my eyes. _

_For what seemed like an eternity, it was silent, neither one of us muttering a word._

_Cloud shifted his weight off of me, rising to his full height. I stood up, no, more like snapped up, dashing for the gate to get out._

_It was all over, my mind told me again and again. He loved Aerith, not me. _

_His hand clamped onto my wrist, stopping my hasty retreat. I screamed, thrashed, cried but his grip only tightened. _

"_Damn it Cloud, let go!" I screamed, finally turning around, tears now streaming down my cheeks. _

_Everything seemed to freeze up. Suddenly, I was being pulled in, closer to Cloud, my face meeting his covered chest, his arms wrapping around my back like a shield. _

"_Tifa," he whispered hotly in my ear, his lips touching my earlobe, "Let me make up for the time I wasted drowning in my sins and misery. Let me make it up to you. Tifa, let's start from scratch."_

"_No," I said, shutting my eyes, "I don't want a new beginning. I want to keep moving forward. Now, we can move towards a better future…together…"_

"_Yeah, that sounds nice," Cloud agreed. "We can keep moving forward, together."_

_That was just the beginning. _

…

…

…

_What happened to "together"? To our happy ending? Was it all a lie Cloud? Did you lie to me? About us, you, me, the baby…?_

"Tifa, earth to Tifa," Zack said, waving a hand in front of my eyes, causing me to blink.

"Well, should we get going?" I asked hastily, directing my vision towards Zack.

"O-kay…" Zack raised a dark brow.

"I was thinking Zack," I said, trying to prevent the oncoming headache.

Zack stood up, stretching out both arms.

"Let's go," he smiled, looking back.

"Right," I said, getting up, a smile on my face as well.

Whether or not it was real or not, I didn't know. Sometimes, my heart felt like stone, others, like glass.

…Sometimes I didn't even feel human…

-x-

The sky was orange with sunset, a bright array of colors decorating the background above us. Even through the thick brush of the trees, we could tell it was getting late.

For a forest, I noticed, I hadn't seen a single organism since we entered.

What were we going to eat?

Given, the berries but some were obviously non-edible and I wasn't going to try my luck at guessing. I was not a forest ranger.

Zack hunted for edible berries, remembering some suggested berries from a friend that he knew in SOLDIER.

Meanwhile, I just walked around, exploring I guess you could say.

Then, something caught my eye.

It was brown, quite small, and almost a perfect square. Wooden walls, a cracked roof, broken windows.

It was a cabin!

But…

What the hell was a cabin doing out in the middle of a deserted forest?

I shrugged off the thought. At least it was a place to sleep and maybe even a place to get a bite to eat. My stomach gave a loud growl of approval, my hand resting on top of it.

I was so hungry that it hurt.

"Zack, cabin!" I yelled, getting his attention.

He sprinted to my side. "Where?" was the first thing he said.

I pointed it out. It was just a couple of meters away.

"Well, what we waiting for? Let's get some food?" Zack rushed, getting ready to run.

"Spirits eat?" I asked, raising a brow.

Zack shrugged. "Dunno, all I know is that I'm starving. I can't remember the last time I had REAL food."

That's cause you were dead, my mind answered.

Together, we sprinted, snapping branches, tearing vines, thorns scraping my flesh all the while.

Within a short while, we were at the porch.

"The door's closed, we should knock," I said, noticing the closed entrance.

"Yeah," Zack agreed, letting me step up and knock on the front door.

We took a few steps back, allowing whoever to open the door.

To my astonishment, it opened seconds later, revealing the cabin's inhabitant. She looked like a child, maybe sixteen. Her transparent, blonde tresses draped over her practically white shoulder, also hanging down her forehead, trailing down by her cerulean eyes. The girl was frail, boney by the looks of it, her legs resembling sticks like her arms.

Was she ill?

The girl was tall, a little shorter than me. And, all she wore was white. A simple white gown ending at her upper legs, small, light blue, slightly heeled sandals on her feet giving her little protection from parasites and insects that had a tendency to bite.

She didn't open the door completely. A simple chain lock kept it shut, allowing her to only reveal herself and not the inside of the small cabin.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her voice was sweet, like venom, it was practically dripping with purity, making me sick to my stomach.

She reminded me a bit of Aerith…

"I'm a traveler," I lied, "I need a place to stay, I'm starving"

"You're asking if you can stay with me," she guessed. She didn't smile but she wasn't angry. I couldn't tell what she was feeling and that irked me. Just being around this girl made me edgy.

"Yeah, pretty much," Zack nodded, knowing she couldn't see him. I gave a meek nod as well.

She took a moment before responding, her eyes studying us carefully as if we were some sort of experiment.

With a click, she unlocked the chain, opening the door.

"I see nothing wrong with you staying with me," she said, her face still neutral.

"Thanks, by the way, I'm Tifa," I introduced.

"I am called the White Witch Namine but you may call me Namine," the girl introduced with a small bow.

**Message 01: End Transmission **

Character Analysis:

_Tifa Lockhart_

_Age: 26_

_DOB: May 3_

_Height: 5'4"_

_Hair: Dark Brown_

_Eyes: Dark Brown_

_Personality: Optimistic, cheerful, realistic_

_Abilities: Superhuman strength _

_Likes: Cloud, loyal friends and family_

_Dislikes: ShinRa, war, death, Sephiroth _

* * *

**This is just a test. I spent about a week on it and I typed 7 pages yesterday. I may or may not continue this story. If I do, this will be the one I update this summer while I roast in my living room alone. **

**(This story takes place after Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, exclude that. And a skort is shorts and a skirt in one, that's what my family refers to it as so just go with it. And Tifa became a litte distant after Cloud left so...)**

**PS: I can update fast. **

**The other chapters would be about this long. So longer waits but more events in a chapter. I realize some of my others works just suck but I'm not removing them but I'm working on avoiding frequent one liners and constant dialogue. I can't picture everything through pure dialogue so...**

**If you want more, review and if I reach 7 or remotely around that, ever, I will, if possible, keep the story going. **

**I have most, if not all, of the story planned out. Let's just say crossovers will happen. Cough...Final Fantasy X...cough. Hints: there ARE various pairings, more than 1 crossover, and the pasts of the FFX characters are a bit AU to fit into the storyline. Oh, and if anyone knows Zack's or Reno's birthday, mention that or I'm going to make it up.**

**So, review if you want the story to keep going, don't hesitate. I want opinions, thoughts, anything. If this story sounds good, tell me so!! Plus, I'm still writing the story but I don't have to post it so. If you want to see Tifa fight a dragon, review! Oops, preview slipped... **

**R and R**


	2. Mission 02: All is Falling to Nothing

**Disclaimer: We all know I don't own the characters of KH, FFVII, or FFX. Wish I did... Zack and Tifa are still my fav characters!**

* * *

**Message 02: All is Falling to Nothing**

"_I am called the White Witch Namine but you may call me Namine," the girl introduced with a small bow._

Namine stepped aside, allowing me, with the invisible Zack, to enter her humble little cabin.

The inside didn't look much better than the outside. Papers were everywhere, scattered on the floor, on the table, even on the small, tattered orange sofa. The wooden boards creaked whenever you stepped, some even protruding from below our feet. Her table was intact, barely, the legs looking like they would give out at any moment. The single wooden chair, unlike the rest of the cabin, looked untouched, shimmering and smooth.

Namine's small kitchen was separated with a measly wall that bore cracks and holes from age. Her floor was still wooden, her tile counters grimy, dishes unwashed and sitting in the sink, gathering dust. The faucet dripped constantly. The outside façade was moldy, brown crust literally flaking off. Her cabinets were scratched, deep chips all along the surface.

I noticed that there was a large book, black ink scribbled along the pages, like she was writing something. I squinted but the lettering was too small for me to read. A black pen with a white feather on top laid next to the open pages.

"Please, make yourself at home," Namine said quietly, returning to her book, picking up the pen and writing once again.

Quietly, I scuffled across the room, taking a look around.

As I thought, it was a bit too dusty. By that I meant I could see the particles floating around.

Zack took a seat on the couch, giving a big yawn.

I sent him a glare before returning to my little exploration of the cottage.

Oddly, there was no bed. There was a bathroom but don't make me go into description of that…

"Hey Namine, do you have any food?" I asked, seeing Zack's head snap up in the corner of my eye.

"Yes, but check the labels before you eat, they may be expired. You may feel free to go through the cupboards as you please," she finished, not even looking up at me.

As I passed by, something caught my eye. A small piece of parchment was on the desk by her arm, lines covering the page. It was…a boy…

I stopped.

His hair was spiked like Cloud's, his eyes partly opened. They were lifeless…dead… The boy's hands were bound behind his back by a silver chain, restraining him from making any movements. He wore an odd outfit, one I had never seen before: loose shorts that blew up like a balloon at the ends, a thin, waist vest, and a shirt underneath. His feet were awfully big, either that or his shoes were made oversized because his feet rose out like an elephant trunk.

"Namine, did you draw that?" I asked, pointing at the paper.

She seemed to tense for a moment, her body completely freezing. "Y-Yes," she managed, still not looking up from her book. Her body, rigid and tense, eased after a few seconds after she resumed writing.

I peered over at her book and suddenly, she slammed it shut, dropping her pen on the table, her head snapping to me. Her eyes flared, the dark pupils seeming to become more like slits, her cerulean eyes going hard.

"Weren't you hungry?" she asked coldly yet timidly.

"Yes," I answered before strutting to the kitchen.

Zack whistled in the background, to my annoyance. It was best to just ignore his insidious acts and hopefully he'd stop.

The food was stored in the upper cupboards within my reach, making it easy to locate the appreciated morsels my stomach craved. But, like Namine's home, much of the food was expired and rotten to the core. Luckily, I located a fresh box of Goldfish and tore open the paper package, eagerly digging into it and pulling out a handful of cheese-flavored, fish-shaped crackers.

With a smirk, I put a handful in my mouth, grinning at Zack as I chewed happily. He sent me an annoyed look and pretty much hopped off the couch and strode to the counter I had the package on and stuck his hand in there.

My eyes flashed to Namine, who was paying no mind, as Zack pulled the handful of cheesy fish to his mouth. To her, it looked like a handful of floating particles of food. That would not be good.

Sighing with relief, I stuck my hand back in the package, resuming my snacking as well. Before we knew it, the package was gone and we were still famished.

I found a package of untouched Pringles and that became the next item to be devoured by us hungry savages.

Zack and I battled out over who got the next few Pringles since the opening was only large enough to fit one hand. Namine didn't notice the struggle thankfully. She was either oblivious or so engulfed in what she was writing to notice.

Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Namine was hiding something.

…

…

…

And being a hermit out in the middle of no-man's land didn't ease my suspicions either.

My gaze focused on the blonde girl. She looked so innocent and so pure but the purest of creatures always packed a deadly venom…

-x-

"Tifa, she's still writing," Zack said from his spot next to me on the sofa. Indeed, Namine was still writing silently in her large book, not bothering to look up. I studied my map, taking a few glances then and there.

Since I couldn't talk to Zack with Namine around, I shrugged, telling him pretty much to not worry about it. It wasn't any of his business anyways.

"Well, I'll sleep here and you can sleep on the floor," Zack said, leaning back, resting his arms behind his head as he leaned back onto the arm rest.

I balled up my fist, grinding my teeth. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he wasn't tangible. He could pick up and touch things but they couldn't touch, see, or hear him. I could sleep on the couch regardless if he slept there or not.

And that I did.

Since it was getting late, I flopped backward onto the couch, over Zack, to his astonishment, and flipped over to my side. After letting out a huge yawn, my eyes fluttered shut, my ears tuning out Zack's mindless babbling.

_It was weird how three words could change a person to the point of reaching high above change. I would describe it as metamorphosis._

_Love could bring two people together…or it could tear them apart. Love could change you for the better, for the worse…_

_For those who didn't know, love felt like cloud nine. One minute you were on the soggy ground and the next you were soaring high above the clouds. Love was a rollercoaster. Sometimes, it was over and others, it was a new beginning._

_No matter how you looked at it, love was bittersweet._

_When Cloud and I started, it was like riding Medusa at Six Flags, steep, high, rocky, and dangerous. At times, it felt like it was over and at others; I thought he would propose to me. Yes, like a drug, you could get high._

…

…

…

_Maybe love was a drug…_

_My fingers tapped impatiently on the small, smooth, round table I sat at. I could perfectly see my reflection on the table but I didn't really care. Beauty didn't make you perfect. _

_I was in a black slim fitting dress that ended below my knees and two-inch black heels dressed my petite feet. For a change, my hair was up, tied back in a spiky bun with a large, black clip. A black handbag was at my feet beneath the table. I felt so…girly…ugh…_

_With a sigh, I scanned my surroundings. A night sky, stars unseen, a large mermaid fountain in the center, snobs scattered everywhere, coursing throughout the area, stifling the air, and expensive interior and designs. In the center of the red clothed table was a vanilla scented candle._

"_Tifa," a voice said softly behind me, my name sliding off his tongue smoothly, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It was so…intoxicating. "Sorry that I'm late," Cloud apologized, pulling out the chair across from me, sitting down._

_Cloud was dressed in a black suit, his white dress shirt collar unbuttoned a little, and his pants were black like his overcoat. _

"_Cloud, this is too much," I said. He shouldn't have spent so much money for dinner. This place was for snobs and Cloud, as usual, seemed totally oblivious to this fact. Then again, he really didn't take any mind to social classes…_

"_No, I think this is fine," he said simply._

_I looked to my right and left before turning back to him. "This restaurant is too…classy," I said, struggling for the right words._

"_So you don't like it," Cloud guessed quietly. DOOM was written all over his forehead. I hardly did get to go out on dates because of my duties, as well as his and this was one of the few that actually worked out and here I was, blowing it._

"_N-No, it's just…I…it's…um…" I didn't know what to say. What was I supposed to tell him? I hated it and that he should have done better._

_Cloud stared at me, a little bewildered. Did I like it or not?_

_I sighed, looking up from my lap. "Cloud, I like it, you went through all this trouble for me…thank you," I smiled._

_His body relaxed and he returned my warm smile._

_That night was spent wonderfully. No matter where I was, if Cloud was near, I was satisfied. I spent a lot mf my life away from him and now was the time to make up the time we lost. _

-x-

My senses were clogged with the smell of pine, my eyes were hazy, only the brown of the blurry ceiling was what I could make out, and my mouth felt dry. Of course, my instinct to rub the crust out of the corners of my eyes kicked in, my hands scrunching up into fists to rub my eyes.

"Sleeping Beauty has awakened," a voice said with a hint of humorous mockery present.

I yawned before shifting to the edge of the couch. Sure enough, the man with spiky black hair was sitting, one knee up, at the edge.

"Aw, what gave me away?" he asked, flashing his trademark grin and cool blue eyes.

A laugh escaped my lips, "Your head," I whispered.

Zack grinned, standing up to his full height, now towering over me like an elephant.

Easily, my legs swung over the edge of the couch, helping me stand up.

My neck felt like hell, I had one heck of a kink. Whenever I moved my neck, pain rush through me like a wave of water.

I felt my eyes wander back to the blonde who was still busily writing in her large book.

"She's been writing all night," Zack said.

"You didn't sleep?" I asked.

Zack shrugged. "I've pulled all-nighters before."

"I wonder what she's writing," I said aloud to myself.

"Want me to go check?" Zack suddenly asked.

Instantly, my eyes snapped up to him. I raised a brow. Why?

"She can't see me and you want to know what's in the book so bad," Zack explained. "I can step over her and skim through it."

"Alright," I agreed quietly, my eyes snapping to Namine to make sure she didn't hear me. "But do it quick, if she's a witch like she says…"

"Yeah, be careful, heard it a hundred times," Zack interrupted. I shot him a look that he didn't see since he had already started across the cabin.

Namine didn't look up or in any way acknowledge his presence when he stopped. Zack towered above the skinny girl, standing on the left side of the desk, his eyes quickly skimming over the pages.

Soon enough, he turned on his heel and came back to me. He didn't say anything when he stopped.

"Well," I started quietly.

"I don't know what she's writing. It's written in some other language. Funny, I've never seen anything like it."

Zack was in SOLDIER and he didn't know what language it was. He didn't have to know the language by heart to recognize it. After all, each language had its own characteristic or trait that no other language had.

"Did she see you?" I asked.

"No, but she seemed a bit out of it. Her eyes weren't normal Tifa; they were dead."

Dead?

"I think we should get out of here as soon as possible, something isn't right here and it's giving me a bad feeling," Zack warned.

If Zack was right and something was wrong, this could jeopardize our mission in finding Cloud. Then again, something bad could be possibly endangering Namine. Should I stay, go, what?

My heart was racing.

_What should I do?_

Suddenly, something unthinkable happened. A loud, low-pitched roar pierced my ears, tearing at my eardrums like a needle to the skin. It was only a few seconds long, too long.

Nothing I knew could roar that loud. By the sounds of it, it was a ferocious creature, more than likely wanting its next meal.

…

…

…

Great, now I was going senile like Zack said, excluding the "old" comment.

Now silence filled the air, constricting me as if it was pulling the breath from my lungs. Two hands around me throat, choking me…that was what I was feeling at the moment.

"The hell?" Zack managed to say.

The howl had caused my shoulders to shake involuntarily, a jolt running through my body like electricity. At first, this feeling overwhelmed me, my stomach churning making me desperately cling onto yesterday's meal but then something seemed to spark inside me, becoming a healthy fire, burning eagerly. This feeling was a mix of fear, anticipation, excitement like I wanted to fight this thing.

I clenched my fists, grinded my teeth, holding myself back from bounding outside to fight.

After all, I didn't know what was out there.

"Crap, Tifa, look!" Zack shouted.

A thump came from behind me and I whirled around. Namine was lying on the floor, panting heavily. Was the shock too much for her?

Being the motherly person I was, I sprinted to her side, kneeling down beside her, Zack standing behind us, his eyes darting every which way.

"Namine, what's wrong, what was that?" I asked in a hurry, mashing my sentence into a long lettered word.

"T-Tifa, r-run," she panted, "you're no match for it, y-you have to g-go," she wheezed. She struggled to sit up, her blonde stands in a messy array. Her eyes bored into mine, her blue irises shining with truth and the utmost care. They were icy and yet they were warm.

"Answer me Namine!" I shouted, grabbing her thin shoulders roughly, "What was that thing!?" I shook her violently but Zack stopped me, putting a large hand on my shoulder, a cold air pulsing through my body. I looked up at him and read his message loud and clear. My death grip loosened, letting Namine go.

"It's after me," she started, regaining her breath so that she wasn't wheezing; "it wants me for my powers. There's nothing you can do to stop it."

"There's a solution to everything, believe me," I said confidently.

My whole life was a mess and yet, I was here, I made it this far, I wasn't backing down. I wasn't going to lose anyone else; no one was going to die on my watch. My lips curled into a smile of reassurance which seemed to shock her since she was now staring at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Tifa, we don't even know each other. You can't fight that thing, no one can defeat it." Her voice was shaky, tears threatening to pour from her sapphire eyes. "My powers as a witch, that's what it wants. That _demon _wants to feast on my powers!" Tears fell from her eyes, her voice changing pitches, tearing.

"Powers, clarify that for me."

She hesitated. "Like I said when we met, my name is Namine the White Witch. I have the ability to alter people's memories and implant fake ones in their place. I was not born like normal humans; I am the shadow of a whole human being, I am half of _her._ They took me away from my other self and threw me into a castle in a whole other world, forcing me to do their bidding. So many lives I ruined and now I'm paying the price. I deserve to die," she muttered, her eyes focusing on the floor boards. "And after I hid myself so many times, it still sought me out. I guess this it for me."

"Namine, look at me," I said sternly. Namine's whole body shook, her eyes puffy, nose running, lips trembling, she was a wreck. "You didn't choose to do those things; it's not your fault."

It was true. She was forced against her will and she shouldn't die because of something someone forced her to commit. That was injustice.

"B-But"

I shook my head. "Does that thing have a weakness or is there anything you can tell me about it?" I inquired.

This girl perfectly knew what this thing was, I was sure of it and I was going to suck out every little detail she knew. Every second counts in battle, that's what Cloud told me once.

Namine's eyes nervously wandered around the room. "Yes, this thing is not an animal nor is it a human. It's unearthly, like me, it comes from another world."

My eyes widened, my body going rigid.

Another world, like…Jenova…?

"Then what is it?"

"It's a demon," she answered almost immediately, a bitter tone to her voice, "Its strengths…well it has wings and ca fly to great heights and watch out for its claws, they can prove fatal. And its not very bright so planning out your moves can help and um…oh, the tail has sharp spikes so avoid being hit by it. As for weaknesses, its sight is poor but its hearing is excellent so attack quietly and maybe aim for the ears."

"Anything else?"

"It's large and by the sounds of it, nearby so be very cautious, stay in open areas if possible."

I nodded, letting the information sink in. This fight was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime battle. But mercy wouldn't be granted if I lost, death was inevitable.

I stood up, lending a helping hand to Namine as she struggled to her feet.

"Namine, before I forget, what were you writing?" I asked, letting go of her hand.

"Oh, I knew you'd be curious. I record my feelings and emotions in that book. Only my other half can read it. After all, we grew up together and we created that language together," Namine smiled.

"So that's why I couldn't read it," Zack said, snapping his fingers.

"Well, I'll be back soon Namine, hide somewhere," I said. "This might get a little messy," I smirked as I got to my small pack, removing the essentials. My gloves still fit, sliding on my hands quite easily, slicking over my fingers, building up my growing adrenaline.

"Be careful," Namine warned as she scurried to a large cupboard, opening the door and crawling in before shutting herself in complete darkness.

"I will," I said, looking up at Zack. "Ready?"

"More than I've ever been, but you know I can't aid you in anyway," he said, probably ticked at himself for ever dying in the first place.

"Just cheer me on and alert me to anything I don't see," I said.

"Will do," he saluted.

I chuckled.

We stopped at the aging door, my covered hand gripped on the golden knob, my hand sweating within its confines.

I hadn't fought a real fight for years and now, it was life or death. There was no turning back now and with that, I took one last look at the closed cupboard before opening the door, a gray colored, blinding light shining in my eyes.

-x-

The light was shocking. Even though the sky was gray with years of pollution, the sun still managed to gives its blinding light. My feet hit the wooden porch lightly, creating a small creak with every step I took.

I took a step, a creak following after, and my eyes were scanning the area frantically. Everything was silent, no animals, no people, not even a breeze blew the trees.

Namine's cabin was located in a small, open area where the trees circled around it. The demon could be hiding for all I knew.

My heart thumped in my chest and my stomach was churning. How I wanted to hurl. The silence was stifling. I couldn't tell fear from excitement.

Two more steps came and I was now on flat land. A small plot of almost sandy dirt surrounded me, my shoes being dirtied by the cream colored dirt.

Suddenly, a rustle came from the trees about ninety degrees to my right. With my fists clenched and ready, I whirled around, biting my lower lip.

Then the silence returned.

All I could hear was my heart running a triathlon and now sweat was beading down my face, dripping from my chin like a leaky faucet.

"Tifa, behind you!" Zack bellowed.

Quickly, I turned around, my eyes widening at the beast.

After that, everything seemed to go in slow motion. It was a brown scaled, dragon-like beast as large as a single-story home, plump yet slender with the long, spiked tail trailing behind. Its eyes glowed blood red, filled with a lust for blood. I could practically see myself being torn apart in its eyes. The snout was long, mouth slightly agape, rows of crooked, razorblade teeth bigger than my hand filling every open space. It had small, fleshy arms, black claws pointing straight up, bits of flesh hanging off from one of its claws. I noticed the legs were considerably longer, fleshy as well, large, deadly claws attached to the feet as well. The tail was as long as the beast itself, large, cream colored spikes protruding from the edges of the tail, long enough to stab through my entire abdomen. Another push of his thick wings that each held a spike of their own, gave him more momentum as the demon lunged towards me.

My legs automatically pulled me aside as I watched in awe as it changed directions swiftly, darting up towards the sky once again.

Without hesitation, the monster pulled itself from the direction it was flying, turning around to glare down at me. Just its stare would make a grown man run away. I was not backing down.

After giving a high and mighty roar that shook the ground, it flew downward once again, pushing its way through the current it produced moments ago as it bounded to me.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground, scooting my right foot back, bending both knees slightly as I pulled my right fist back.

Aim for the snout!

All of my strength was packed into that single punch. 3…2…1! It was inches from me when my fist made contact with its rough skin, cutting up my gloves and scraping the flesh from my knuckle. The impact of the collision sent me flying back as well as the dangerous creature. My eyes screwed shut as my back made a painful crash against the ground, making me skid for yards until my head pounded against a tree trunk.

As I sat up painfully, Zack at my side, asking if I was alright repeatedly, I noticed my vision was hazed, things blurring and multiplying before me eyes. My head was aching, blistering with pain, my brain throbbing against my skull. I lifted my right hand close enough to my face that I could inspect it carefully. My pale red, leather glove was torn at my knuckles, exposing the bleeding flesh to the annoyingly hot air.

My knees weren't in any better shape.

I prayed to god that I at least made a dent in the damned thing's face. I looked up at the beast circling around a group of trees opposite of us. I saw no marks but it didn't look too pleased.

"Tifa, aim for its abdomen, a dragon's armor is weaker there, your hit might prove fatal," Zack said.

"R-Right," I coughed, regaining my breath as I struggled to my feet.

"Avoid directly hitting its scales," Zack added.

I shot him a glare, telling him I knew what I was doing and to shut up. He gladly did just that.

Bits of pain disgruntled me as I stepped into the open, remembering Namine's advice.

"Come and get is bastard," I growled, getting back into my fighting stance, waiting until the large creature swooped down before I pulled back my fist.

I sprinted under its large body as it neared the ground, using my strength to jump upward. My fist pulled back, gathering as much power as I could muster before unleashing my fury upon its softer abdomen.

At first, it felt like I was punching a feather pillow. This was going to hurt. Power released itself from my hand, searing through the beast's abdomen. It screeched in pain, its entire body collapsing on the ground. Luckily, it didn't crumble on me.

Its eyes were open, blazing with hate as I walked up to its large snout. I hopped on its snout, receiving a growl of detest from the my enemy. This was going to be quick and painful.

My strength was about depleted and I knew I was standing on my last two feet. This was the final move that would take me to victory.

I pulled back my right arm, unleashing a powerful punch right between its eyes before releasing a series of kicks upon both of its eyes.

Quickly, I jumped off its snout as it gave a loud groan.

The last of my strength pulled me to a tree where I found a large stick with a jagged edge. I inspected it quickly after I took it off the ground before walking up to the dragon's abdomen. With a grunt, I plunged the pointed edge and most of the ten foot branch into the belly of the beast. It cried out in pain as I pulled it down, tearing away its flesh. I barely avoided the insides the were quickly spewing out, splashing onto the ground and like a tidal wave, flowing away. I drug the branch through until I reached the dragon's armor before I pulled it out and tossed it into the pooling blood and innards.

The stench that erupted from the dragon's opened wound was putrid, making my eyes water and my stomach churned even more.

Zack walked up to me, giving me a pat on the shoulder, which I didn't feel, before flashing me a grin. "Good job," he congratulated.

I couldn't help but smile, the pain from my wounds disappearing in the moments of glee I felt.

"Tifa," a small voice called from the other side of the dragon. Zack and I sprinted around the dragon to see Namine standing safely on the porch, a smile gracing her pink lips.

"I told you that you had nothing to worry about," I smiled.

Suddenly, my knees gave out and I was sailing to the ground below me.

My adrenaline was gone like my strength.

Everything went black once again.

-x-

"Tifa!" a male voice shouted.

"Tifa!" a small voice cried.

_I was floating. Everything swayed around me like water and at the surface was a light. With a smile, I outstretched my arms, taking in this pleasant feeling. My eyes closed and all I remember was a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. _

Pain erupted from my body, snapping me from my dream, my eyes opening. Zack was hovering over me, worry written all over his face. Namine was healing my wounds with materia, relief starting to set in. I was lying down on my back on Namine's couch.

"Did I win?" I managed, my voice almost inaudible.

Namine looked at me, smiling all the while.

"Yes, you won," she said, "but what happened after I cannot explain."

"Huh?" I sat up quickly.

"Come see," she said, giving me her hand. When I took her small, pale hand, I noticed that is was unbelievably cold. Was it because she was a shadow?

Namine pulled me outside to the porch, Zack following behind, forlorn clearly shown on his face.

"W-What happened?" I gaped.

The entire lifeless plow was empty. The dragon, its blood, it was gone…

"It faded into dust and a slight breeze blew the remains away," Namine explained.

I said nothing. This place was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

Suddenly, my head started throbbing again.

"Come on, let's get inside," Namine said, leading me back into the cabin.

-x-

"Wow, I didn't know you could cook so well," I admitted in pure awe after I took a bite of the scrumptious pastry Namine had baked. "And I didn't know you're oven worked either."

Namine chuckled, holding her fork gently, a bite sized piece of the flavored bread dripping strawberry jam back onto her plate. "I didn't know my oven hadn't died either."

Zack was drooling over my shoulder, wanting a huge piece of the strawberry flavored bread dripping with strawberry jam.

"So where are you going now Tifa?" Namine asked me, forking another piece of her bread.

"Um, I'm not sure quite yet," I admitted. For all I knew, Cloud was in Mideel.

"You aren't a traveler, Tifa, am I right?" Namine asked, looking up at me with her glistening blue irises.

I set down my fork on the edge of my glass plate with a small CLANK. "No, actually, I'm looking for someone," I said in a hushed tone.

"Who?"

"A man named Cloud Strife. Maybe you've seen him, spiky, blonde hair, blue eyes," I described.

"I'm sorry, you're the only traveler I've seen come through here for the past two years I've been here," Namine said, her voice slow and calm.

"It's alright, he's been missing for four years now," I said, looking down at the wooden table.

"Do you love that man?" Namine suddenly asked, her voice a bit louder and steady.

My eyes snapped up from the table. "Y-Yes."

"Then maybe I can help you," Namine said, scooting back her chair so that she could get up. The blonde witch stopped at her desk, opening a small drawer and taking something out before shutting it once again. She half ran back to me, not returning to her seat but stopping at my side.

I opened my hands up because she was handing me something. It plopped in my hands and before I could see it, Namine put her pale hand on top of my hands, our eyes locking.

"Please use this, it's a gift from me," she said in a ghost whisper, her hands falling back to her sides.

My mouth stayed shut, seeming to go dry, filling with a rusted flavor again. I parted my two hands to see what she had given to me. Gold was the first thing I saw. It was shining a brilliant gold color and it was cool, like metal, and as large as my palm. I turned it over and saw the small inscriptions under the glass.

It was a golden compass but there was no north and south. No, there was a picture of some sort of black monster in the west corner, some small waves in the eastern corner, a human man in the south corner, and a picture of God in the northern corner.

"How do you"

"You must decipher it yourself; I cannot tell you," Namine interrupted.

"What is its purpose?" I asked.

"This compass tells the future. You can walk into your utter demise or avoid certain death. Depending on how you read it can save you or kill you."

"You're saying this can take me to Cloud?"

"It can but if you're destined to die while saving him this tool will not alter that fate," Namine said.

...

…

For some reason, my lips turned upward into a smile, thinning into an upward curve. "Thank you, Namine."

She returned my smile with one of her own. "Your welcome."

-x-

I packed all of my things back into my pack, including the compass Namine had given me. My wounds were virtually gone except for a few unnoticed scratches.

Zack and I stood on the porch steps, bidding goodbye to White Witch Namine.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked the blonde beauty.

She pursed her lips in thought. "I'm going to find my other half and reunite with her. She needs to be whole again."

"What's going to happen to you?"

A slight breeze blew, rustling my hair and Namine's. "I am going to disappear but she will be whole. I am only a shadow, I hold no feeling or emotion." She stared at her feet again.

"Namine!" Her head snapped up. "You are just as human as me! You aren't an emotionless machine."

"I know," she smiled sadly, "but when I become one with her, I'll become her in a way. I'll still be here and I can even come out."

"Come…out…?"

Namine nodded. "I can come out as her shadow, holding no physical form. Whenever the sun shines, I'll be around."

Then it clicked. Namine was the shadow that trailed behind a person when the sun came out, the shaped, black person that was always a step behind. Then I…had a shadow as well. My eyes trailed behind me to the black figure on the ground that copied the movements I made.

Namine wasn't going to disappear. A smile appeared on my lips as I turned back.

"Can you at least tell me your other half's name so I can see you again?"

"Kairi, her name is Kairi," Namine answered immediately, her voice fading like the dying wind.

"Thank you, for everything."

"I should be thanking you," Namine chuckled, tears streaming down her face. "I'll miss you."

I gave Namine a small hug, saying goodbye for that last time.

As I proceeded down the porch and back into the thick brush, Namine called to me again. "Tifa, tell your tall friend that he needs to be a bit more discreet," she said.

…

…

…

Was she talking about Zack…?

I raised a brow and looked up at the retired army man towering above me. His face was priceless, a replica of pure shock. He uttered something like, 'what the hell?' repeatedly.

Namine smiled and walked back into her cottage, shutting the door behind her before I could ask anything.

"Zack?"

"Don't look at me, I have no idea," Zack shrugged.

Well, Namine was a witch so maybe she could sense Zack's presence but how did she know he was tall?

Zack and I continued on our way, returning to wandering through the thick brush and dangerous vines.

_It was odd when I thought about it._

_Reno and I were enemies and here I was with him and Elena at the Seventh Heaven, having a drink at one in the morning. _

"_So I tell em' to get the hell out of my face unless they want to deal with a Turk and you know what they did?" Reno slurred, slamming his emptied shot glass on the counter._

"_What?" I asked, getting annoyed. I was behind the counter serving this bastard drinks 'cause he wouldn't leave me alone otherwise._

"_They ran away like pansies!" he roared. _

_I looked to Elena who had drank as well but she wasn't drowning herself in booze. She shrugged, looking as irritated as me._

_He slammed his fist on the counter, bursting with laughter. Elena grunted, pinning a stray blonde hair behind her ear. Reno slumped forward, his face making contact with the counter. He finally passed out._

"_Ugh, we come back from a mission and I have to be his drinking partner. God, why does he have to drown himself in alcohol after every mission," Elena groaned. "I know he gets drunk often but this is ridiculous, he's drowning himself."_

"_Did something happen on the mission?" I asked, wiping the counter around Reno's head._

_Elena's brown eyes went hard. "Well," she hesitated, "this mission was rougher than most of the others I have been on so it might have been hard on Reno as well."_

"_What was the mission?" I inquired, pulling Reno's shot glass from his motionless hand, taking it to the sink to wash._

"_We were supposed to dig up some information on a president of an apposing company. Well, it got a bit out of hand, turning into a full out shootout."_

"_How is that hard on Reno?" I questioned, putting the washed and dried cup away in the cupboard._

_Elena's eyes fell to her hands that were folded neatly in her lap._

"_Reno met this kid named Carson and we were staying in the hotel for about a month, giving Reno enough time to get attached to Carson. Soon enough, they were like brothers, inseparable. But when the shootout happened in the hotel, Carson was in the crossfire and unfortunately, he was shot in the head. He was only ten years old," Elena said the last part softly._

_My gaze fell upon the passed out Reno. His back rose and fell evenly with every breath; he looked so peaceful. If what Elena said was true, Reno's mind was going through immense trauma at the moment, more than likely making him a bit unstable._

"_Turks can't feel," Elena said, leaning forward, resting her face in her hands, her elbows propped on the countertop._

"_You love Tseng, isn't that a feeling?" I asked quietly._

_Elena's back jolted, sending her head snapping straight up, her brown eyes hard and icy. "That isn't the same," she grounded out, biting her lower lip._

"_But you do, right?" I asked, faking a smile._

_The blonde Turk sighed. "Yes, but he doesn't feel the same, he's too professional. Tifa, he takes his work seriously and I doubt he is capable of any sort of emotion besides stress."_

"_I doubt that; no human can't feel."_

_The young Turk rubbed her temples, trying to ease off a migraine. "He is an exception to the rule."_

_I pursed my lips. "Dilly-dally-shilly-shally Elena, everyone has a heart, some are just can't open up like others can."_

"_Maybe, but I doubt he even likes me so that pretty much washes my dreams down the drain," Elena said, adjusting the collar of her Turk uniform._

_Elena and I weren't the closet of friends but we were on good enough terms to be called acquaintances. _

_Her eyes flashed to the sleeping Turk in the stool next to her. "I wonder if he'll try to break any and all emotional bonds he has now. It would be a shame but the job of a Turk is not to feel," Elena said, shaking her head in what looked like denial. _

"_Now you sound like Tseng," I chuckled._

_She flashed a small smile. "I guess I do."_

_Our smiles faded in a few moments, worry overtaking our minds once again. _

_Though I didn't really like Reno much, what happened to him recently was something I wouldn't wish on anybody, not even him…_

_It grew silent again as I finished cleaning up. Elena's eyes stayed focused on Reno, worry detected in her gaze._

_Reno mumbled something incoherent and shifted a bit, luckily he didn't fall from the stool. Drool was pooled on the counter below his face which was quite disgusting even for him I might add._

"_Carson…"_

_Our eyes widened and Elena and I looked at each other, worry written all over are features. _

_Reno never grew attached to anyone after that and he tried to break his bonds with Rude and Elena. Both of them didn't let that happen so easily though, especially Elena. _

…

…

…

_In a way, Reno aged ten years in a month. He experienced something that he probably never felt before or recently at least. That can break a man. But it isn't the brains or brawns that make man, nor does the hair, eyes, or personality. _

_What makes a man or even a woman is the ability to get up after something so painful and to move forward._

_Maybe Reno wasn't a man…_

_His carefree attitude disappeared for three months and all he did was drink. He got an extended vacation since Elena reported what happened to Rufus, much to Reno's distaste._

_I definitely saw Reno often after that and Elena and I grew closer because of that broken man. _

The memory of Reno's ultimate breakdown from two years ago faded as Zack and I continued on our way through the dead forest.

There were still no animals and it was deathly silent again.

Why didn't the animals come back? The demon was gone unless…there were more…

Maybe that one was sent to track Namine and maybe that one was the biggest and strongest.

I hoped to god that wasn't the case.

"Tifa, I hear something," Zack said.

"Huh?" I silenced myself, tuning my ears to the environment.

…

…

…

Nothing…

"I don't hear anything," I said.

"Odd, I did and it sounded like crap! Tifa, behind you!" Zack yelled.

I whirled around to see a whole group of vicious dragons revealing themselves, stepping closer to us, their eyes glowing blood red.

These ones were much smaller, about the size of a car but there were at least fifty of them surrounding us. They growled, their pitch low and threatening.

I got their message loud and clear.

"Zack run!" I screamed, sprinting through the brush.

_If I just go straight, _I told myself. My mind screamed, my arms twisted as the flesh was being torn from them by thorns. I didn't slow down.

_Light! _

There was a bright light ahead, I could see it. My legs ached, blood seeping from my torn flesh, my eyes not daring to look back. They grew closer, their growls and snarls growing louder. They were flying, maneuvering through the trees. I knew it by the wind that brushed my skin.

My eyes screwed shut as my knees bent, sending me flying out of the brush.

I felt my body slam into the dirt, hard like rock, my body skidding across its stony surface. As my body rolled up, my eyes opened slightly to see the swarm of dragons dart above me.

If I was standing up…

Warily, I sat up a little, seeing the dragons stop in midair. I stood up, my eyes trailing down the edge of the cliff I was standing at. I couldn't see the bottom of the rocky cliff, it was black, rigid, and never-ending.

"They're coming back," Zack warned quickly.

Indeed, their wings flapped, sending them hurtling in my direction.

I ducked just in time, a mighty wind following them as they swooped above my head. One tail of the last dragons swung, pounding its mighty spikes into my forearm.

I howled out in pain as the tail tore the flesh from my arm, blood gushing out, staining my pallid skin.

The wound was five inches long, no flesh there, revealing the innards of my arm to the humid air.

I struggled to my feet, in a bit of a daze, and what happened after that was a little hazy to me.

Suddenly, the cliff broke beneath my feet, crumbling below me, sending me into the black abyss. My stomach dropped as my head went where my feet were supposed to be, my body in a vertical position as I started to drop.

This was it…I was going to die.

I closed my eyes, seeing Zack jump over the edge, shouting my name frantically, reaching down for me futilely.

He couldn't save me…

No one could…

I was beyond saving…

-x-

My eyelids felt heavy, like tape was holding them down. I blinked a few times, the bright light overcoming my senses. A girl with emerald orbs and gentle brown tresses in braids stared down at me, a smile gracing her lips, her face petite, lips full and pink, her skin was pale yet fair. Her nose was not too small or too big, pointing out at just the right angle. And the same pink ribbon pinned back her back braid.

Aerith…

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

"Aerith," I murmured weakly.

Suddenly, the woman changed. Her hair was lighter, a grayish brown shade, and shorter, the ends poking up a little, showing off the shape of her face. A small multi-colored piece of fabric held some strands of her hair by her left shoulder with two beads at the top and bottom, and a long pink piece of fabric held her hair in the back, probably ending past her knees when it swayed. Her skin was fair, tan but not dark. Her eyes were two colored. One eye was emerald green, the exact same shade as Aerith's, and the other was blue, like Cloud's.

She wore a white, sleeveless shirt with a pink hood.

"Aerith, you must have me confused with someone else, my name is Yuna," she smiled.

**Message 02: End Transmission **

Character Analysis:

_Zack Fair_

_Age: 23, appearance wise_

_DOB: unknown_

_Height: 6'3"_

_Hair: Black_

_Eyes: Icy Blue_

_Personality: Optimistic, humorous, warm-hearted, outgoing, kind, caring_

_Weapon: Buster Sword_

_Likes: Aerith, his friends and family, loyal people_

_Dislikes: Sephiroth, leaving friends behind, killing _

* * *

**I updated because I might as well since I'm doing the story either way. Well, the dragon thing came to me last night and I spent last night until one in the morning and today from eight in thr morning until almost two typing this. Stupid writer's block.**

**Well, Al Bhed language might be included so I'll post up the Al Bhed alphabet in contrast to the American alphabet next time if you didn't know it. I found it on Wikipedia if you want to know. **

**Anyway I JUST FINISHED this chapter so the next update might now be for awhile. At this rate, I might be able to update once a week if I don't have writer's block or a case of laziness. **

**Let me clarify a few things. Namine is Kairi's shadow but in this fic, she's the shadow that follows her whenever the sun's out so Kairi's without a shadow I guess. It doesn't really matter but I guess I could say Kairi can't go outside when the sun's out without Namine or else she gets burns, no not a sunburn! And the creatures were indeed dragons and their origins will be revealed later on. And Zack still looks 23 because he didn't age after he died which is obvious. And Reno's flashback does play a key part in this story (hint, hint) and as you can see Yuna is in the story. The FFX characters will have AU pasts basically because they need to fit into the storyline. **

**The question of today is: Does Namine see ghosts?**

**R and R and I'll give you a HUGE hint next chapter if I get up to 12 reviews total. Yes, you can review more than once if you want the hint. Tell me thoughts and about the crack pairs, I think they are unheard of. And I have side stories too if this story gets over 100 reviews, I'll post them. **

**PS: Thanks for the whole reporting the typos thing, I fixed them and I did enable the anonymous review thing, I guess it just slipped my mind.**

**Till next time**


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